User input apparatus

ABSTRACT

A user input apparatus according to the present invention is configured like a wrist watch and a system can recognize the gesture such as “grip” and “release” or the like and can input the gesture as a command merely by attaching the user input apparatus to user&#39;s wrist. Further, by adding an acceleration sensor or the like for measuring the movement of an arm itself to a bracelet, the user input apparatus can be configured so as to input more complicated instruction and command. The user input apparatus can be used as an input apparatus for a wearable computer (or wearable computer), or a controller to input a command for a game machine or the like.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a user input apparatus, with which auser inputs a command and data or the like into a computer, andspecifically, relates to a user input apparatus, with which the usercarries out the input operation by using a portion of a human body.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a user inputapparatus, which is used by attaching to the human body and preciselycarries out the input operation in accordance with the user's intention,and specifically, relates to a user input apparatus, which recognizes agesture presented by the user and captures it therein as the user input.

BACKGROUND ART

In accordance with recent technical innovation, a computer system of aversatile type called as a work station (WS) and a personal computer(PC), which is comparatively compact and low-cost and is highly valueadded and highly functional, has been developed and put on sale. Thistype computer system has been deeply prevalent in a university and theother research institutes, a business enterprise and the other offices,and further, a daily life of a family. Now, a most part of a daily workis related with a computer and many people spend the entire day touchinga key board and a mouse.

The computer system is generally driven in response to a user inputcommand and by displaying a processing result on a displayed screen,thereby offering an “interactive”, namely, a dialogical processingenvironment. Recently, the computer system is transitional from aconventional character based user input environment via a key board thatis representative of a DOS (Disk Operating System) shell screen, namely,“a CUI (Character User Interface)” into a “GUI (Graphical UserInterface)” realizing a graphic based user input. Under the GUIenvironment, a desktop in which the computer system is simulated andmany icons are prepared on a display screen.

On the desktop that is offered within the GUI, all resources such as afile or the like to be handled in the computer system are presented asan icon. The user is capable of operating a computer intuitively and inan easily comprehensible manner by directly applying the behavior (forexample, click and drug and drop) to a display object on a screen suchas an icon symbolizing a program, data, a folder and a device or thelike on a display screen by means of the user input apparatus such as amouse or the like. In addition, a button for calling up variousfunctions, namely, the computer processing in a moment of time such as amenu bar and a tool box or the like is prepared, so that a manner of acommand input into the computer is becoming increasingly intuitive andeasily-comprehensible.

As a result of introduction of the GUI environment, by now, the user cansufficiently operate the computer even if the user does not master aname and a command operation method or the like of a specific commandand does not perform a troublesome key input. In addition, the computercan precisely capture the user input in accordance with the user'sintension into the system.

On the other hand, in the daily life, a person often presents a gesturesuch as “body gesture” and “hand gesture”, with which his or her ownfeeling and intention are reflected. Such a gesture is one pattern of amessage from another person, however, it can be also grasped as acommand to be presented toward outside world.

For example, if an input apparatus such as a wrist watch or the like isprovided, which the user can wear without uncomfortable feeling andwhich can recognize user's gesture such as “grip”, “release” or thelike, the user will be able to freely input various commands into thecomputer merely by wearing this while walking around.

Conventionally, there is a technology to recognize displacement of amuscle by measuring electromyogram (EMG). Further, some propose to usethe electromyogram as a input means for a computer.

However, in the case that the electromyogram of a human body is regardedas a measuring object, an electrode should be made directly contact witha skin of the user, and this results in imposing discomfort and physicaland mental strain to the user. In addition, the electrodes should beattached at separate positions on the muscle (for example, in thevicinities of the opposite ends of an upper arm) based on itsmeasurement principle. However, in such a case, it becomes troublesometo attach this input apparatus to the human body and it becomesdifficult to compose the input apparatus in a natural manner such as awrist watch.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an excellent user inputapparatus, with which a user is capable of carrying out an inputoperation by using a part of his or her body.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an excellentuser input apparatus, which is used by attaching it to a human body andis capable of precisely carrying out the input operation in accordancewith the user's intension.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide anexcellent user input apparatus, which recognizes gestures presented, bya user and may capture them therein as a user's input.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide anexcellent user input apparatus, which is complicated to be attached tothe human body and is composed in a natural manner such as a wristwatch.

The present invention is made in consideration of the above-describedobjects, and its first aspect is a user input apparatus to be used byattaching to a human body, including a plurality of transmissionelectrodes; a plurality of reception electrodes; a human body attachingmeans for attaching the above-described transmission electrodes andreception electrodes alternately along a surface of the human body; asignal generator for supplying a waveform signal of a predeterminedfrequency to each of the above-described transmission electrodes; and areceiver for receiving a waveform signal to be received at each of theabove-described reception electrodes. Further, between the adjoiningtransmission electrode and reception electrode and the surface of thehuman body, a circuit that is equivalent to a capacitor is formed.

In the user input apparatus having such a configuration, in accordancewith deformation of the surface of the human body due to the gesturespresented by the user, a static capacity of each capacitor that isformed between the adjoining transmission electrode and receptionelectrode and the surface of the human body is changed.

Accordingly, by using the changes in the static capacity of thecapacitor that is formed between the adjoining transmission electrodeand reception electrode and the surface of the human body, it ispossible to measure the gestures presented by the user in term of amulti-dimensional vector value that is measured between eachtransmission electrode, each reception electrode and the human body.

The user input apparatus may be further provided with gestureregistration means for registering a gesture as the multi-dimensionalvector value that is measured between each transmission electrode, eachreception electrode and the human body, and a gesture recognition meansfor recognizing the gesture presented by the user on the basis of theregistered gesture. This gesture recognition means may recognize andidentify the gesture by comparing and checking the multi-dimensionalvector value that is measured when the user presents the gesture withthe multi-dimensional vector value that is registered in theabove-described gesture registration means in advance.

In this case, the above-described human body attaching means may beconfigured like a bracelet capable of being attached to a wrist of theuser. In such a case, when the user presents the gesture such as “grip”,“release” or the like, it is possible to recognize and identify thegesture on the basis of an amount of deformation on the surface of thewrist.

It is a matter of course that the user may freely input various commandsinto the computer by merely wearing this while getting away from thecomputer main body such as a keyboard and walking around.

In addition, the user input apparatus may have a sensor mounted thereon,the sensor being such as an acceleration sensor or a slant sensor or thelike for measuring movement characteristics of the human body itself. Insuch a case, it becomes possible to simultaneously measure the gesturespresented by the user such as “grip” and “release” or the like and themovement of the arm itself (twist, shake) or the like. Accordingly, theuser input apparatus may compose a more complex instruction by acompositive gesture in which a posture presented by the gesture and itsmovement characteristic are combined.

Alternatively, above-mentioned human body attaching means may beconfigured like a wearable shoe sole following a form of a foot sole ofthe user. In such a case, by alternately arranging the transmission andreception electrodes so as to be arrayed along the sole shoe or a roadsurface on which the user lands on his or her feet, it is possible torecognize walking and shifting of balance or the like.

Alternatively, the above-described human body attaching means may beformed like a frame of eye glasses capable of being attached on a faceof the user. In such a case, by alternately arranging the transmissionand reception electrodes so as to be arrayed along the frame of theeyeglasses, it is possible to recognize deformation of the face(particularly, change of the expression made by an eyelid and aperiphery of an eye).

Further other object, characteristic and advantage of the presentinvention will be obvious from the detailed explanation on the basis ofthe embodiments according to the present invention to be described laterand the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view depicting a manner that a user input apparatus 1according to an embodiment of the present invention is attached to ahuman body of a user.

FIG. 2 is a view schematically illustrating a measurement section 10 anda configuration of a processing section for processing a detectionsignal in the measurement section 10.

FIG. 3 is a view depicting a manner that a human body (a wrist)intervenes between a transmission electrode 12 and a reception electrode13.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure for registering agesture as the other-dimensional vector on the user input apparatus 1.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure for recognizingthe gesture that is inputted on the user input apparatus 1.

FIG. 6 is a view showing a modified example of the present invention, inwhich, a sensor such as an acceleration sensor or a slant sensor or thelike for measuring a movement of a wrist itself is further mounted onthe user input apparatus 1.

FIG. 7 illustrates the user input apparatus configured as an eyeglassframe.

FIG. 8 illustrates the user input apparatus configured as a shoe sole.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

With reference to the drawings, the embodiments according to the presentinvention will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 depicts a manner that a user input apparatus 1 according to anembodiment of the present invention is attached to a human body of auser.

As shown in this drawing, a user input apparatus 1 according to thepresent embodiment has a configuration as same as a wrist watch. Theuser may naturally wear such a user input apparatus 1 without beingconscious of wearing the user input apparatus 1 (or, without feelingphysical and mental discomfort by wearing it).

According to the example shown in the drawing, the user input apparatus1 is configured as an integral part including the wrist watch body, andit consists of a watch section 5 and a measurement section 10 that islike a belt winding this watch section 5 around a wrist of the user andmeasuring movement of the wrist.

The watch section 5 consists of a display section in which scale indexesare arranged in a circular ring shape and a hour hand, a minute hand,and a second hand that are rotating on this display section atrespective speeds in accordance with time lapse. However, a function ofthe watch itself is not described here any more since it is not directlyrelated to subject matter of the present invention.

On the other hand, on the measurement section 10, along acircumferential direction of the wrist, transmission electrodes fortransmitting a transmission signal and reception electrodes forreceiving the transmission signal are alternately arranged, and on thebasis of the intensity of a reception signal at each receptionelectrode, it is possible to recognize if the user presents a gesturesuch as “grip” and “release” or the like.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the measurement section 10 and aconfiguration of a processing section for processing a detection signalin the measurement section 10.

As shown in this drawing, the measurement section 10 is configured froma plurality of transmission electrodes 12-1, 12-2, . . . that isarranged along a circumferential direction of a wrist, a signalgenerator 11 for supplying alternating current of a predeterminedfrequency (for example, 100 KHz) for transmission to each oftransmission electrodes 12-1 . . . , a plurality of reception electrodes13-1, 13-2, . . . that is inserted between transmission electrodes 12-1,. . . and receives alternating current from each of transmissionelectrodes 12-1 . . . by capacitively coupling in accordance with astatic capacity between the electrodes, and a receiver 16 for carryingout signal processing such as AM modulation and A/D conversion withrespect to the alternating current flowing through each of receptionelectrodes 13-1 . . . .

The receiver 14 consists of an AM modulator made of a band pass filter(BPF) 14A allowing the alternating current only at a predeterminedfrequency band to pass therethrough, an amplifier 14B and a detector14C, and an A/D converter 14D for converting a detected output into asignal of a digital format. The digitally-converted detected signal issignal-processed by a processor 15, and then, it is outputted to theoutside, namely, a computer (not illustrated) or the like, for example,as a predetermined user input signal.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the user uses the user input apparatus 1,which is like a bracelet and on which the transmission electrodes 12 andthe reception electrodes 13 are alternately arranged, while wearing itto his or her wrist.

From the signal generator 11, a waveform signal having a specificfrequency (for example, 100 KHz) is generated. A SW1 consists of aplurality of analog switches and if one analog switch is turned on, theSW1 will supply the waveform signal to the corresponding transmissionelectrode 12 disposed on the bracelet. The open and close operation ofeach analog switch of the SW1 is sequentially controlled atpredetermined timing by the processor 15. More specifically, the switchis scanned so that the waveform signal flows through only onetransmission electrode 12 at a certain point of time.

In addition, on the bracelet, a plurality of reception electrodes 13-1,13-2 . . . is arranged so as to be alternately disposed with each oftransmission electrodes 12-1, 12-2, . . . .

Now, if a combination of one transmission electrode 12 and one receptionelectrode 13 is considered, a circuit that is equivalent to a capacitoris formed between the transmission and reception electrodes.Accordingly, by supplying a waveform signal of a predetermined frequencyfrom the signal generator 11, an electric field that is generated by thetransmission electrode 12 is received at the side of the receptionelectrode 13 due to the capacitive coupling in accordance with a staticcapacity.

In addition, between the transmission electrode 12 and the receptionelectrode 13, as shown in FIG. 13, a human body (a wrist) intervenes.Since the human body is regarded as a ground that is virtually grounded,the shift of an electric charge to be created by an electric field thatis generated from the transmission electrode will flow through an earthvia the wrist. This shift of the electric charge depends on a positionalrelation between the electrode and the wrist. For example, by thebehavior of gripping a hand or releasing a hand or the like, a shape ofthe wrist may delicately change. In accordance with such change of thewrist shape, the static capacity of the capacitor to be created betweenthe transmission electrode 12 and the reception electrode 13 willchange.

A SW 2 consists of a plurality of analog switches and respective analogswitches connect the corresponding reception electrodes 13-1, 13-2, . .. to the receiver 14. A result of A/D conversion of the reception signalis read by the processor 15 via the band pass filter (BPF) 14A that isset at the same value as the transmission frequency, the amplifier 14Band a detector 14C.

The open and close operation of each analog switch configuring the SW2is sequentially switch-controlled at predetermined timing. Morespecifically, the switch is scanned so that the reception signal due toonly one reception electrode 13 is read by the receiver 14 at a certainpoint of time.

Due to a combination of the open and close operations at each of the SW1at the side of the transmission electrodes 12-1 . . . and the SW2 at theside of the reception electrodes 13-1 . . . , at a certain instance,only a combination of one transmission electrode and one receptionelectrode is connected. The processor 15 may obtain a value that is A/Dconverted with respect to the all combinations of the transmission andreception electrodes (4×4=16 combinations according to an example shownin FIG. 2) at a predetermined period by sequentially changing these SW1and SW2 at predetermined timing. As a result of this, the user inputapparatus 1 may obtain a value of 16 dimensions from the wrist of theuser in real time manner.

In order for the user input apparatus 1 to recognize the gesture inpractice, at first, the user performs a gesture like “grip” or “release”or the like several times with the user input apparatus 1 attached tothe wrist, and then, the user records the combinations of the measuredmulti-dimensional vectors. In other words, the user carries out theoperation for registering gestures that are desired to be used infuture. Then, upon the user's input, comparing and checking the vectorvalue that is obtained from the user input apparatus 1 with each ofthese recorded vector values, the gesture is recognized on the basis ofdistances between them.

FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure for registering a gesture as theother-dimensional vector on the user input apparatus 1 in a format of aflow chart.

In this case, the user performs a desired gesture with the user inputapparatus 1 of a wrist watch type attached to the wrist of the userhimself or herself (step S1).

Then, at the side of the user input apparatus 1, with respect to the allcombinations of the transmission and reception electrodes, a readingprocessing is carried out to record a detected multi-dimensional vectorvalue into the database (step S2). During the registration onto thedatabase, a meaning to be assigned to the gesture (for example, acommand to the computer and a specific data value) may be recordedtogether.

In addition, FIG. 5 shows a processing procedure for recognizing agesture that is inputted by the user input apparatus 1 in a format of aflow chart.

At first, the user presents a desired gesture with the user inputapparatus 1 attached to the user's hand (step S11).

At the side of the user input apparatus 1, with respect to the allcombinations of the transmission and reception electrodes, the readingprocessing is carried out (step S12).

Then, the user input apparatus 1 calculates distances between a detectedmulti-dimensional vector value and each of the vector values that havebeen already registered into the database, and then, the user inputapparatus 1 selects the multi-dimensional vector value of the minimumdistance (step S13).

If the calculated minimum distance is less than a predeterminedthreshold value, it is recognized that the gesture having the vectorvalue of the minimum distance is inputted (step S14). The recognitionresult that is obtained in this way is outputted to outside or aconnected device such as a computer or the like.

In addition, in the case that the meaning assigned to the gesture (aspecific command and a specific data value) is registered into thedatabase, this may be outputted to the outside as the user input result.

An embodiment (refer to FIG. 6) such that a sensor such as anacceleration sensor or a slant sensor or the like for measuring themovement characteristic of the wrist itself may be further mounted onthe bracelet of the user input apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 2 may bealso considered.

According to such a configuration of the apparatus, it is possible tosimultaneously measure the gestures presented by the user, such as“grip” and “release” or the like, and the movement of the arm itself(twist, shake) or the like. Accordingly, the user input apparatus 1 mayconfigure a more complex instruction with a compositing gesture in whicha posture presented by the gesture and its movement characteristic arecombined.

The user input apparatus 1 may be able to recognize a gesture, forexample, “rotating the arm while gripping” in distinction from thesimple gesture of “gripping”. As a matter of course, it is also possibleto distinctly recognize gestures depending on a way to rotate the arm (arotation direction and a rotation speed).

Previously, the embodiments of the present invention has been describedtaking the user input apparatus 1 that is configured in a shape of abracelet similar to a wrist watch as one example. However, the subjectmatter of the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, by alternately arranging a plurality of the transmissionelectrodes and a plurality of the reception electrodes along the shoesole (FIG. 8) or the road surface, the multi-dimensional value may bemeasured due to the capacitive coupling of capacitors as describedabove. Accordingly, a user input apparatus 1 that is capable ofrecognizing walking movement and shifting of balance may be configured.

In addition, by alternately arranging a plurality of the transmissionelectrodes and a plurality of the reception electrodes along a frame ofeye glasses, (FIG. 7), the multi-dimensional value may be measured dueto the capacitive coupling of capacitors as described above, and theuser input apparatus 1 that is capable of recognizing deformation of theface (particularly, change of facial expression made by an eyelid and aperiphery of an eye) may be configured.

SUPPLEMENT

The present invention has been explained in detail with reference to thespecific embodiments as above. However, it is obvious that a personskilled in the art could modify or substitute these embodiments withoutdeparting from the scope of subject matter of the present invention. Inother words, the present invention is disclosed in a form of anexemplification and the present invention should not be interpreted in alimited way. In order to decide the subject matter of the presentinvention, the scope of claims should be considered, which is describedat the front of the specification.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide anexcellent user input apparatus, with which a user is capable of carryingout the input operation by using a part of his or her body.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible toprovide an excellent user input apparatus, which is used by attaching toa human body and is capable of precisely carrying out the inputoperation in accordance with the user's intension.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible toprovide an excellent user input apparatus, which recognizes gesturespresented by the user and may capture them therein as the user's input.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible toprovide an excellent user input apparatus, which is complicated to beattached to the human body and is composed in a natural manner such as awrist watch.

Since the user input apparatus according to the present invention isconfigured, for example, like a wrist watch, the system may recognizethe gesture such as “grip” and “release” or the like and may input thegesture as a command merely by attaching the user input apparatus touser's wrist. Further, by adding a sensor (for example, an accelerationsensor) for measuring movement of the arm itself, the user inputapparatus may be configured so as to input more complicated instructionand command.

The user input apparatus according to the present invention is capableof being used as an input apparatus for a wearable computer (or wearablecomputer), or a controller to input a command for a game machine or thelike.

1. A user input apparatus that is used by attaching to a human body, theuser input apparatus being characterized by comprising: a plurality oftransmission electrodes; a plurality of reception electrodes; a humanbody attaching means for attaching the transmission electrodes andreception electrodes alternately along a surface of the human body; asignal generator for supplying a waveform signal of a predeterminedfrequency to each of the transmission electrodes; and a receiver forreceiving a waveform signal to be received at each of the receptionelectrodes, wherein the user input apparatus comprises measurement meansfor measuring a gesture of a user with the plurality of transmissionelectrodes and the plurality of reception electrodes by using a changein a static capacity of a capacitor that is formed between thetransmission electrode and the reception electrode and the surface ofthe human body, and for detecting results of the measurement as amulti-dimensional vector value, wherein values of respective dimensionsof the multi-dimensional vector value correspond to respective pairs ofthe transmission electrodes and the reception electrodes, the pairsbeing different from each others.
 2. The user input apparatus accordingto claim 1, the user input apparatus being characterized by furthercomprising: gesture registration means for registering a gesture to beregistered and corresponding multi-dimensional vector value that ismeasured by the measurement means in between the respective transmissionelectrodes and reception electrodes; and gesture recognition means forrecognizing a gesture by comparing and checking a multi-dimensionalvector value that is newly measured by the measurement means with amulti-dimensional vector value that is already registered in the gestureregistration means.
 3. The user input apparatus according to claim 2,the user input apparatus further comprising sensor means for measuring aphysical quantity that changes in accordance with movement of a humanbody, wherein the gesture registration means registers the gesture to beregistered in association with the multi-dimensional vector value thatis measured when the gesture is performed and the physical quantity; andwherein the gesture recognition means recognizes the gesture bycomparing and checking the multi-dimensional vector value that is newlymeasured by the measurement means and the physical quantity that ismeasured by the sensor means in correspondence with the detectedmulti-dimensional vector value with the multi-dimensional vector valueand the physical quantity that are already registered in the gestureregistration means.
 4. The user input apparatus according to claim 1,the user input apparatus being characterized that: the human bodyattaching means is configured like a bracelet capable of being attachedto a wrist of a user.
 5. The user input apparatus according to claim 1,the user input apparatus being characterized that: the human bodyattaching means is configured like a wearable shoe sole that follows aform of a foot sole of a user.
 6. The user input apparatus according toclaim 1, the user input apparatus being characterized that: the humanbody attaching means is configured like a frame of eye glasses capableof being attached on a face of a user.